Sensory Integration Education

When people think of difficulties with sensory processing or sensory integration, they often associate it with children. However, many adults experience challenges as a result of their sensory differences — it just presents differently. Adults may not struggle with play or handwriting for example, but may experience fatigue in busy environments, difficulty focusing at work, or discomfort with certain textures or noises impacting on activities like work or personal care. For other adults, difficulties with sensory discrimination and praxis (motor planning) affect tasks like cooking, driving or doing DIY around the house. Recognising and assessing sensory integration differences in adults is key to improving wellbeing, participation, and quality of life.

Why Adults Benefit from Sensory Processing and Integration Assessment

Many adults seek assessment because they notice that daily life feels more challenging than it should. They may describe themselves as “sensitive,” “always on edge,” or “constantly needing to move.” Others may experience sensory overload in certain environments, which can impact mental health, social participation, or job performance. It is also important to highlight that sensory differences that impact on daily life, whilst more prevalent in Autistic adults or those with ADHD, can also occur in the absence of another diagnosis.

A sensory integration assessment helps to:

• Identify an individual’s unique sensory processing preferences or needs
  
  
• Understand how sensory factors influence participation in daily tasks, behaviour, attention, and emotions
  
  
• Develop personalised strategies to enhance self-regulation and participation
  
  
• Support access to appropriate accommodations in work, study, or community settings
  
  

Key Sensory Integration Assessment Tools for Adults

Below are some of the most widely used and evidence-informed assessment tools that can help identify sensory processing differences in adults. The choice of assessment depends on clinical goals, setting, and the individual’s specific needs.

The Adult/Adolescent Sensory History (ASH) 

The Adult/Adolescent Sensory History (ASH) is a comprehensive, standardised assessment tool developed by Dr Teresa May-Benson, an occupational therapist and leading expert in sensory integration. It is specifically designed to evaluate sensory processing and motor patterns in adolescents and adults, addressing the long-standing gap in sensory assessment tools for individuals beyond childhood.

The ASH helps identify sensory integration and processing difficulties that may affect an individual’s daily functioning, emotional regulation, participation in work or study, and social relationships.

It provides a structured way to capture how sensory and motor factors influence performance across the lifespan.

Age Range: 13 years and above

Format: 

• Self-report questionnaire completed by the individual, sometimes with therapist support
• Can be supplemented by interview and observation for richer clinical interpretation
• Provides quantitative scores as well as qualitative insights into sensory and motor functioning

The Sensory Processing Measure, Second Edition (SPM-2)

The Sensory Processing Measure, Second Edition (SPM-2) developed by Diane Parham, Cheryl Ecker, Heather Miller Kuhaneck, Diana A Henry, and Tara J Glennon is a comprehensive, standardised assessment designed to evaluate sensory processing, praxis (motor planning), and social participation across the lifespan — from infancy through adulthood (ages 4 months to 87 years).

It is an updated and expanded version of the original SPM (2007) and SPM-Preschool, now including forms for home, school, and community settings, as well as a newly developed Adult Form.

The SPM-2 provides a holistic view of how sensory processing affects everyday functioning and participation in real-world environments. It assesses how individuals process, interpret, and respond to sensory input in different contexts. It helps identify patterns of sensory over- or under-responsivity, sensory-seeking behaviours, and praxis challenges that may interfere with daily life, learning, or emotional wellbeing.

Age range: 4-87 years

Format:

• Questionnaire-based (rating scales)
  
• Can be completed by the individual, caregiver, or professional who knows the person well
• Scoring: Produces standardised scores and profiles that highlight strengths and areas of sensory challenge
  
  

Adult/Adolescent Sensory Profile (AASP)

The Adult/Adolescent Sensory Profile (AASP) is a standardised self-report questionnaire developed by Dr Winnie Dunn that helps individuals and clinicians understand how they respond to sensory experiences in daily life. It is one of the most widely used tools for exploring sensory processing patterns in people aged 11 years and older.

The AASP is based on Dr Dunn’s Model of Sensory Processing, which proposes that people differ in:

1. Neurological thresholds — how much sensory input is needed to notice or respond to a stimulus
   
   
2. Self-regulation strategies — the degree to which a person actively manages sensory input
   
   

These two factors combine to create four sensory processing patterns that describe how people experience the world. These are: Low Registration, Sensory Seeking, Sensory Sensitivity and Sensory Avoiding.

Age range: 11 years and above

Format:

• Self-report questionnaire
•  Each sensory pattern is scored to produce a profile showing which pattern(s) best describe the individual’s sensory processing style.
• It can be completed independently or with guidance from a clinician, teacher, or support professional.

Clinical Observations

Standardised tools are often complemented by clinical observations. Clinical Observations (COs) are a set of clinical assessment tasks originally designed by Dr A. Jean Ayres and has been adapted by other clinicians since for example Erna Blanche in 2010. They are used primarily by health care professionals trained in sensory integration to observe and measure the neuromotor foundations that underlie sensory integration and praxis (motor planning).

While standardised tests provide quantitative data, Clinical Observations offer qualitative, performance-based insights that complement other assessments. They are particularly valuable in identifying subtle indicators of sensory integration difficulties that may not be captured through questionnaires alone.

Clinical Observations remain a cornerstone of sensory integration assessment. By examining posture, balance, coordination, and motor planning, therapists can gain deep insight into the sensory-motor foundations that influence participation in everyday life. When interpreted alongside standardised assessments, they provide a powerful, holistic picture of sensory integration functioning across the lifespan.

Using Assessment Insights to Support Adults with Sensory Differences

Finally, assessment is only the first step. The goal is to translate insights into practical strategies and interventions that promote wellbeing and participation for individuals across the lifespan.

Understanding sensory processing and integration differences empowers adults to make sense of long-standing challenges and develop proactive coping approaches that align with their unique sensory profiles.

Sensory Integration Education is a leading UK provider of postgraduate and CPD training in sensory integration. Our postgraduate courses are accredited by Sheffield Hallam University.